More Lifestyle Headlines

At NAACP town hall, community members discuss police-involved fatal shooting | Photos

Clarence Shivers, of Fort Pierce, listens to Dale Landry, criminal and juvenile justice committee chair for the Florida State Conference of the NAACP, speak during the NAACP town hall meeting Tuesday, May, 3, 2016, at the Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Pierce. The meeting was held to discuss investigation into the police-involved fatal shooting of 21-year-old Demarcus Semer during a traffic stop on April 23. Shivers and Anthony Boothe (right) both gave public comments during the meeting. "It could have been me," said Boothe, who said he knew Semers. (XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

FORT PIERCE — Nearly 200 community members gathered Tuesday evening at an NAACP town hall meeting to discuss the investigation into the police-involved fatal shooting of Demarcus Semer.

Semer, 21, was fatally shot April 23 after two Fort Pierce police officers tried to stop Semer's vehicle on North 19th Street about 11:55 p.m., according to the Sheriff's Office. Fort Pierce asked the Sheriff's Office to investigate the shooting.

Community leaders and city officials were present at the Florida State Conference of the NAACP meeting at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church on Avenue C, including Fort Pierce City Commissioner Reggie Sessions, Fort Pierce Police Chief Diane Hobley-Burney and Mayor Linda Hudson.

The St. Lucie County Chapter of the NAACP hosted the meeting.

"He was a friend of mine. Seeing him shot down like that, that could've been me," said 18-year-old Anthony Boothe, who has said he witnessed the shooting, during public comment.

Dale Landry, criminal and juvenile justice committee chairman for Florida State Conference of the NAACP, said the organization is asking the government to call on an independent prosecutor.

"The Florida Department of Law Enforcement cannot just come in, they have to be invited in," Landry said of the shooting investigation. "This isn't just happening in Fort Pierce, this is happening all over our nation. The NAACP stand with the community in their outcry."

Landry said there's no reason why the Sheriff's Office should not release the names of both officers involved in the shooting.

"I smell a cover-up," Landry said.

Community members lined up to give their opinions on how county officials should proceed with the investigation.

Mark Hadden, 48, of Fort Pierce, became emotional when he spoke about the need for an independent investigation.

"We're asking the police to do something they don't want to do. It's a waste of time," said Hadden, who said he used to coach Semer in basketball at Fort Pierce Central High School.

Other community members spoke on police training and interaction with the community.

"Police training should be more than book knowledge," said speaker D'Jay Ferguson. "It should also teach officers how to deal with the public."

Landry said the public needs to elect officials who are going to hear what the community is saying about community policing.

About Nicholas Samuel

Nick Samuel is a multimedia journalist for TCPalm.com and Treasure Coast Newspapers who covers breaking news in the afternoons, evenings and weekends across the Treasure Coast.